Comments on: Curiosity rolls!

By: ArtKns

ArtKns — Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:04:28 +0000

@Bob

Don’t be such a skeptic. Investigate (google) before you speak. Here:

http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/geekend/geek-trivia-what-inside-joke-is-hidden-in-the-wheels-of-the-mars-curiosity-rover/9935?pg=2

and here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Curiosity_wheel_pattern_morse_code.png

By: Bob

Bob — Sun, 26 Aug 2012 17:37:34 +0000

The tracks showing JPL in morse code? As an ex-Navy Radioman, I think someone’s imagination is being displayed.

By: Nigel Depledge

Nigel Depledge — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:00:57 +0000

Chris (9) said:

Hmm, Curiosity is powered by plutonium. What happens when it reaches 88 mph?

If it has no Flux Capacitor, nothing special.

By: CR

CR — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 06:40:42 +0000

@15 Thomas Siefert
Ha! That’s hilarious. Your ‘quote’ actually seems real.

@29 VJBinCT
‘The Home Planet’ came out in the 1980′s, and yes, it featured stunning mostly low-orbit pics of Earth (some were from farther away). I still have a copy buried in my personal library… too many books for bookcases, let alone for a coffee table!

By: Neil Haggath

Neil Haggath — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:22:05 +0000

#30 Frank:
A dictionary wouldn’t recognise it, because Dr. Plait made it up! As everyone who has read this blog for more than one day knows, this is a long-running joke between Dr. Plait and his readers. It began with him using the word “embiggen”, which I gather originates from an episode of The Simpsons, and has progressed to inventing joke words appropriate to the subject of the picture. In this case, “enaresenate”, as Ares is the Greek name for Mars.

By: Jcinpv

Jcinpv — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:05:45 +0000

Okay, so what does ‘enaresenate’ mean?

By: Frank

Frank — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 21:04:08 +0000

enaresenate? Have they forgotten how to spell “enlarge” or “zoom”? Even dictionary.com didn’t recognize it. I bet it has something to do with the Tea Party trying to take over the US Senate, which would be really, really bad for NASA.

By: VJBinCT

VJBinCT — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:50:07 +0000

Having ‘home’ and ‘NASA’ in the same post just reminded me of a coffee table book of views of earth in space published in the 70′s or 80′s. It’s called ‘The Home Planet’, such a hopeful title that seems perfect for children of a future human diaspora to remind them of where they originally came from. Not going to reach the stars for a long time, but one can hope it will happen.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 05:22:33 +0000

@27 Kevpod
The wheels have JPL in Morse code.

By: Kevpod

Kevpod — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 04:33:04 +0000

Aren’t the wheel treads encoded with data of some sort, in that they leave trackable marks? I thought I heard something about that.